With the New Year being around the corner, seeing people filled with a new spirit and hope, being optimistic about the future is not a rare thing. Being only a day away from the Ethiopian New Year, it is no wonder for people’s heart to be filled with a glimmer of hope: a hope for the better future, peace, stability and prosperity.
New Year is a turning point from the old year to the most awaited New Year. It is in this time of the year that people make plans and set resolutions on matters that they want to adjust in their lives. Often times, they wish for bright things and plan to better their lives.
With this same common intent, Ethiopians, nationwide, are celebrating Pagumen 5, the last day of the month and eve of the New Year, designating it as “Victory Proclaiming Day”.
According to Emebet Tsegaye, cultural attires trader at Shiro Meda market, the past three years or so were not a bed full of roses for the country and they have been times that the nation encountered several challenges. Due to the unpleasant activities orchestrated by TPLF terrorist group, the government of Ethiopia has been forced to engage in law enforcement operations as well as existential campaign.
Fortunately, through these challenging times, the nation has realized grand successes such as the first and second filling of GERD as well as held free and fair elections, which was the first of its kind in the history of the country.
Singing the same tune, it has been undertaking several developmental projects of which most of them have gone operational despite the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Unfortunately, the nation is still confronting difficulties from both internal and external forces though Ethiopians irrespective of any differences are paying the ultimate sacrifice to curb the challenges, glorify the country and hand over a better Ethiopia for this generation and the next generation to come.
The Day, Ethiopians are marking today on the eve of the New Year is an important one to entice people and make them strive to live up to it as it crucial to the future survival of Ethiopia.
Approached by The Ethiopian Herald, Habtamu Haile Mesqel, a Civil Servant, also stated that even though the nation is going under a critical time, with the concerted efforts of its people, things will get back to normal.
“Despite all the challenges, it is crucial for Ethiopians to unite to defeat poverty, hate and injustice and transform the nation. As the saying goes, history only judges those who could not commit rather than those who fail to achieve the dreams.”
He further noted that by learning from the past mistakes and experiences, the nation would overcome its obstacles and can better the lives of its people.
For the people of Ethiopia to breathe the oxygen of freedom and get rid of the darkness that have surrounded the nation now, it is critical to stand together and win all obstacles, he stressed.
“I hope that the New Year would bring about hope and all the challenges the country is in now would come to an end. To this effect, everyone is duty bound to contribute share to achieve this,” he opined.
There is always no better time than now to do the right thing. Hence, it is important to take the footsteps of our forefather, unite and put our nation first so as to pass the challenging situation that the nation is found today, he stressed.
True, as history has it, Ethiopia has been faced with multifaceted challenges. However, owing to its patriotic children, it has enabled to chase away its enemies and flying its flag high with greater pride. And today while we are at the eve of the Ethiopian New Year, we vow to realize nation’s renaissance
BY BETELHEM BEDLU
The Ethiopian Herald 10 September 2021
